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UCF Asian-American groups have joined with groups from University of Florida and University of South Florida to raise awareness for the Bloomingdale Library Assault Victim Fund and to help pay the medical bills of a young Vietnamese woman who suffered severe brain damage after being raped.
On April 24, an 18-year-old woman stopped to drop off her library books at the Bloomingdale Regional Library in Valrico, which is just south of Brandon.
The East Bay High School senior ended up in a hospital bed which resulted in her missing her graduation.
As she got out of her car that night to drop the books in the drop box, she was attacked and raped.
She suffered brain damage after her skull was crushed by the attacker, and the beating has left her blind and unable to walk, talk or swallow.
Five months after being transported to Tampa General Hospital, she is settled at a rehabilitation center in Tampa.
Not only is the victim's family suffering from the distress of the incident, but they are also struggling to pay their medical bills.
The rehabilitation center costs $30,000 a month for the stay. Her family's Medicaid has expired, and they are thus struggling from the costs of the medical bills.
"Reading this article on an online newspaper was heartbreaking, but it seemed so distant," said Cuong Le, the philanthropy chair of Pi Delta Psi. "Tampa seemed so far away until a close friend of mine actually knew the family and started a bank account just for the victim."
Le has worked with Pi Delta Psi to organize groups to help with the family's bills.
"We contacted all the Asian American Student Organizations at UCF and developed a schedule that let us all go out and table outside the Student Union in order to raise money," Le said.
"We and Delta Phi Lambda Sorority Incorporated also informed the Diversified Greek Council and the Multicultural Student Center about our cause and started to receive donations from many other various groups," Le said.
Together with students from USF and UF, the organizations have planned fundraising drives and two events to benefit the family.
For the past several weeks, Pi Delta Psi Fraternity Inc., Delta Phi Lambda Sorority Inc., the Vietnamese American Student Association, and others, have been outside of the Student Union to raise money for the girl's family.
So far, they have raised more than $350 in donations.
"APAC wanted to bring awareness about the prevalence of rape and also help raise money for this family in Tampa whose debt is around $30,000 due to hospital bills incurred from this incident," said Judy Liu, executive vice president of the Asian Pacific American Coalition at UCF. "We have many friends in USF who are trying to fundraise for the family, and we felt that if we can donate any amount of money it would help our friends in their work and help the rape victim."
Friday night, Psi Delta Psiwill host a party to benefit the Bloomingdale Library Rape Victim Fund at the 11/12 Lounge in Winter Park.
There will be a $10 cover charge and a portion of the proceeds will go to the victim's family.
Saturday, the groups will host the "Fashion for Compassion" fashion show at the Convention Center of Tampa.
Tickets are $20 and include the fashion show, food and beverage, as well as an after party with entertainment and dancing.
All proceeds go directly to the family and students from the UCF and USF chapters of Pi Delta Psi will be there to help set up the event.
To contribute to the victim and her family, visit any SunTrust Bank and ask to deposit in the SunTrust Bank Bloomingdale Library Rape Assault Victim Fund.
All proceeds go directly to the girl's family to help them pay the medical bills.
To get more information on upcoming events to support the victim's family, UCF groups will be tabling outside of the Student Union today from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Contact Cuong Le at cuongthietle@gmail.com with any questions.
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